End of the Line for Weymouth Quay branch - March 2020

[Journeyman]

Disused Weymouth railway line 'wiped out without goodbye'

Yeah, I'm really not buying the outrage over this. It was an interesting curiosity, but it's a liability for the town and it's blindingly obvious there's no suitable future use for it.

 

[221101 Voyager]

Hopefully, they might keep a small part of the line at the old station and leave the bits that aren't on the road its self at the other end. So there will at least be a subtle sign at each end of what was there once.

 

[theironroad]

Hopefully, they might keep a small part of the line at the old station and leave the bits that aren't on the road its self at the other end. So there will at least be a subtle sign at each end of what was there once.

Tbh, the old station buildings are rundown and now the ferry has departed, I wonder how long they'll last too.

 

[Journeyman]

Tbh, the old station buildings are rundown and now the ferry has departed, I wonder how long they'll last too.

Again, nothing to lose any sleep over. It's a giant 1970s prefab that's extremely ugly.

 

[swt_passenger]

Hopefully, they might keep a small part of the line at the old station and leave the bits that aren't on the road its self at the other end. So there will at least be a subtle sign at each end of what was there once.

I think some of the bits at the other end that “aren’t on the road itself” are still theoretically an operational siding? There’s supposed to be 21 chains still in use according to the public online sectional appendix. Not sure where that gets measured from, but it‘s at least as far as the station car park entrance, possibly more.

 

[theironroad]

Again, nothing to lose any sleep over. It's a giant 1970s prefab that's extremely ugly.

Yes, it is pretty hideous. Probably just best it was levelled really.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Again, nothing to lose any sleep over. It's a giant 1970s prefab that's extremely ugly.

Extremely ugly? In 50 years time it will be a listed building - exquisite example of its mid 20th century type...

 

[peteb]

A pity one last run using a pump trolley wasn't feasible. If someone has one of those french velo rail cycle contraptions surely they could run that down the line, as it sits in the middle of a public highway and there would be no question of trespass, merely difficulties negotiating any parked cars. Mind you some velo rail contraptions are light enough to lift off the rails when you meet someone coming the other way!

 

[Mordac]

Extremely ugly? In 50 years time it will be a listed building - exquisite example of its mid 20th century type...

Anything that stands up long enough ends up getting listed in this country, regardless of its aesthetic merits. Exhibit 1: Preston Bus Station.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Anything that stands up long enough ends up getting listed in this country, regardless of its aesthetic merits. Exhibit 1: Preston Bus Station.

Much as that is located in a fairly useless place (possibly because of a shift in the city centre?), it is a good example of 1960s Brutalist architecture - albeit perhaps a way not to build things!

 

[reddragon]

Disused Weymouth railway line 'wiped out without goodbye'

A 700t steam loco, wow!

 

[221101 Voyager]

I think some of the bits at the other end that “aren’t on the road itself” are still theoretically an operational siding? There’s supposed to be 21 chains still in use according to the public online sectional appendix. Not sure where that gets measured from, but it‘s at least as far as the station car park entrance, possibly more.

I reckon they still are operational because I found a FGW HST in there in 2014.

2014 - Part 1

Part 1 covering the months from January to June. Page updated 21st June 2014

stevestrainpics.weebly.com

 

[swt_passenger]

I reckon they still are operational because I found a FGW HST in there in 2014.

Cheers for that. I had assumed that gate would be the obvious limit, but can’t really make sense of where the chainage is measured from.

Edit: I found a way of confirming that the declared operational limit is at that gate, (168m 52 ch), by measuring on Google satellite view from the southern portal of Bincombe tunnel, (165m 02ch), which is an easily defined point.

Can you get a grass cutting attachment for an HST power car?

 

[221101 Voyager]

Cheers for that. I had assumed that gate would be the obvious limit, but can’t really make sense of where the chainage is measured from.

Edit: I found a way of confirming that the declared operational limit is at that gate, by measuring on Google satellite view from the southern portal of Bincombe tunnel which is an easily defined point.

Can you get a grass cutting attachment for an HST power car?

Yes google earth is a good way of measuring distances!

Yes you can. Here it is. I couldn't find a better image to make it more convincing annoyingly but you get the idea!

 

[brad465]

After visiting Weymouth on holiday in the last week I was able to get these photos of the work in progress at the time:



My only concern here is for all the talk of wanting to remove the tracks as they're a hazard for cyclists, in that case they should be resurfacing the whole road, not just where the track was, as if anything potholes, sunken drains, etc. are also hazardous to them and tend to occur mostly at the edges. I don't know though if they plan to come back and resurface those sections later?

 

[theironroad]

After visiting Weymouth on holiday in the last week I was able to get these photos of the work in progress at the time:

View attachment 84904View attachment 84905View attachment 84906

My only concern here is for all the talk of wanting to remove the tracks as they're a hazard for cyclists, in that case they should be resurfacing the whole road, not just where the track was, as if anything potholes, sunken drains, etc. are also hazardous to them and tend to occur mostly at the edges. I don't know though if they plan to come back and resurface those sections later?

I'm sure they'd love to resurface the whole road but most councils are under severe budget pressures.

Iirc, specific funding was allocated for this project of rail removal and I don't think it covers the whole route either.

 

[brad465]

I'm sure they'd love to resurface the whole road but most councils are under severe budget pressures.

Iirc, specific funding was allocated for this project of rail removal and I don't think it covers the whole route either.

Makes sense I suppose, I don't know how far they're removing them, but I imagine there isn't much to gain from removing the tracks where the old quay station is, as it's at a dead end off any main road.

 

[Crossover]

Reports I saw on Facebook suggested that the sleepers under the road are completely shot - I think the lines' removal was inevitable

 

[theironroad]

Must admit, until seeing brad465's pics, I didn't realise quite how deep the sleepers and rails were. Nice pics btw.

 

[XAM2175]

for all the talk of wanting to remove the tracks as they're a hazard for cyclists, in that case they should be resurfacing the whole road, not just where the track was, as if anything potholes, sunken drains, etc. are also hazardous to them and tend to occur mostly at the edges

The rails are a specific risk to cyclists because the bicycle's tyres can become caught, which pretty much always ends in a crash. Potholes and other small depressions are much more easily avoided.

 

[30907]

After visiting Weymouth on holiday in the last week I was able to get these photos of the work in progress at the time:

View attachment 84904View attachment 84905View attachment 84906

My only concern here is for all the talk of wanting to remove the tracks as they're a hazard for cyclists, in that case they should be resurfacing the whole road, not just where the track was, as if anything potholes, sunken drains, etc. are also hazardous to them and tend to occur mostly at the edges. I don't know though if they plan to come back and resurface those sections later?

Your middle photo shows sprayed white markings which suggest something is planned.

 

[brad465]

Must admit, until seeing brad465's pics, I didn't realise quite how deep the sleepers and rails were. Nice pics btw.

Thank you, I should point out the first 2 pictures were from Sunday 18th, the one with the visible sleepers was yesterday.

Your middle photo shows sprayed white markings which suggest something is planned.

Good point, I hadn't noticed them at first, although if that is genuine planned work it's odd they didn't do it at the same time, when it could be done in the same road closure window.

 

[Right Away]

My only concern here is for all the talk of wanting to remove the tracks as they're a hazard for cyclists, in that case they should be resurfacing the whole road, not just where the track was, as if anything potholes, sunken drains, etc. are also hazardous to them and tend to occur mostly at the edges. I don't know though if they plan to come back and resurface those sections later?

An article on the Dorset Echo website says that it is only a temporary surface as Commercial Road "will be resurfaced from kerb to kerb at the end of November".

Road reopens after Weymouth rail tracks removed

Commercial Road in Weymouth is now open from the King Street junction to Westham Road following the removal of the old rail tracks.

www.dorsetecho.co.uk

 

[swt_passenger]

An article on the Dorset Echo website says that it is only a temporary surface as Commercial Road "will be resurfaced from kerb to kerb at the end of November".

Which is how they’d normally do such a job, in my experience. A tarmac machine (is that called an Asphalt paver?) would probably do half the width, (of what is a fairly wide two lane road), in one continuous pass, and then do the second pass. Might even be three widths.

 

[Right Away]

Which is how they’d normally do such a job, in my experience. A tarmac machine (is that called an Asphalt paver?) would probably do half the width, (of what is a fairly wide two lane road), in one continuous pass, and then do the second pass. Might even be three widths.

I took it from the article that it was just a way of saying that the entire road would be resurfaced as opposed to just doing the strips either side of the former tramway. I don't think it was intended to be a description of how the work will be undertaken.

 

[swt_passenger]

I took it from the article that it was just a way of saying that the entire road would be resurfaced as opposed to just doing the strips either side of the former tramway. I don't think it was intended to be a description of how the work will be undertaken.

What I was thinking is they wouldn’t want to do it in small sections lengthwise, it would be quite an inefficient way of doing it?

 

[reddragon]

Its standard practice that when you dig a hole like that you put down a base coarse over the excavation and later add a wider / full width wearing course.

 

[Train wasp]

Just up the line from Weymouth is the Hamworthy goods branch line. Does anyone know if the Hamworthy goods line is still open and when was the last time the branch line was used.

thanks

 

[Western Sunset]

Think it was around May 2018 that the final stone trains ran from Whatley to Hamworthy. Still officially open though.

 

[jopsuk]

The tarmac does look like the rougher material commonly used as the layer under the actual wear course. At a guess here they'll have laid it a little thick (to be level with the existing road) so that when they come back to fully surface they'll plane the entire width to be laid (both old tarmac and new) to give a better surface for the top coat to bind.